In the 17th and 18th centuries, Cornish pasties were the go-to portable lunch for miners, fishers and farmers – practical, hearty parcels eaten hot or cold. I use leftover casseroles and stews by simply shredding the meat and ensuring the sauce is thick enough to hold its shape without leaking. In this version, the traditional pasty takes on a North African twist with a deeply spiced, meltingly tender filling of slow-cooked lamb shanks with harissa, dried fruit and tomatoes. The filling can be made ahead and chilled – make sure it’s completely cold before assembling so the pastry stays crisp. You can also bake the pasties in advance, store them in the fridge, then reheat and crisp them in the oven before serving.
Moroccan lamb shank Cornish pasties
Makes 6 large pasties
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Ingredients
• 4 hind lamb shanks
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp store-bought harissa paste
• 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 2 ½ cans water, mixed with 2 tsp beef stock powder
• ½ cup chopped dried apricots, mango or sultanas
• pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 6 square sheets puff pastry
• 3 tbsp milk whisked with 1 egg, for brushing pastry
• sesame seeds, to garnish (optional)
Method
Preheat oven to 170°C. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large ovenproof, stovetop-safe casserole dish or dutch oven. Add onion, carrots and celery (if using) and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
Stir in the harissa paste and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant. Add chopped tomatoes, stock water, dried fruit, chilli flakes (if using) and the lamb shanks.
Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for about 2½ hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone.
Remove lamb shanks from the casserole dish and set aside on a board. Place the dish with cooking sauce back on the stovetop over medium heat. Mix the cornflour with 2 tablespoons cold water, then stir into the sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until thickened and reduced. Season well with salt and pepper. Use two forks to shred the meat from the bones. Add the meat to a large bowl along with the thickened sauce and mix to combine. Chill in the fridge until completely cold.
When ready to assemble the pasties, preheat the oven to 220°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Defrost pastry until pliable but still cold. On a lightly floured surface, trim the corners of each sheet of pastry to make into a large circle (or use a bowl or plate as a guide). Place ¾-1 cup of the cold lamb mixture in the centre of each pastry circle. Fold into a half-moon shape, folding and pressing the edges firmly to seal. Crimp the edges with a fork to secure.
Carefully transfer the pasties to the baking tray using a fish slice. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle over sesame seeds (if using). Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed, golden brown and crisp.
Cool slightly before serving – delicious hot or cold, especially with a salad and Spiced Peach Chutney, or Roast Tomato Sauce.
Grilled greens with greek yoghurt & burnt lemon butter
Charred greens, creamy yoghurt and buttery lemon sauce – what’s not to love? The veges get smoky and sweet on the grill, the yoghurt adds a lovely tang, and the burnt lemon butter is totally addictive. This is the kind of dish that makes you want to eat all your greens – and then some. It’s perfect for making the most of spring and summer vegetables, when everything’s fresh, green and just begging to be grilled. You could also grill green beans, kale and even thin wedges of cabbage – yum!
Serves 4-6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10–15 minutes
Ingredients
• 350g broccolini
• 1-2 cos lettuce hearts, cut in half lengthways
• 3-4 courgettes, quartered lengthways
• 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed
• 1-2 bunches asparagus spears, ends trimmed
• 50g butter
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 200g natural, unsweetened greek yoghurt
Method
Toss vegetables with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt. Preheat a BBQ grill or grill pan until hot. Grill vegetables until lightly charred and just tender. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Let it continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until the foam subsides and the milk solids turn a deep golden brown. You’ll notice a nutty, toasty aroma, and this is your cue that the butter is ready. Watch it closely, as it can quickly go from golden to burnt. As soon as the butter is golden and fragrant, remove it from the heat and immediately stir in the lemon zest and juice. The mixture will bubble and sizzle.
Spread the yoghurt onto a serving platter and arrange the grilled vegetables on top of the yoghurt and spoon the burnt lemon butter over everything. Serve immediately.
Honey-soaked almond cake
A moist, golden-crumbed cake made with ground almonds, olive oil, yoghurt and citrus zest soaks up a heavenly honey syrup. Its flavour deepens as it sits, so it’s even better the next day. We love it as a rustic dessert or a thin slice with a coffee.
Serves 8-10
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30-35 minutes
Almond Cake
• 1 ½ cups ground almonds
• ½ cup spelt, plain or gluten-free flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• 3 large free-range eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup natural, unsweetened greek yoghurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• zest of 1 orange
• zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup sliced almonds
Honey Syrup
• ½ cup runny honey
• juice of zested orange, strained
• juice of zested lemon, strained
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp orange blossom water (optional)
To serve
• thick yoghurt, crème fraîche, sour cream or cream
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.
In a bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt and cinnamon (if using).
In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, olive oil, yoghurt, vanilla and zests.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients and fold together until the cake batter is just combined – don’t over-mix.
Spoon cake batter into the prepared cake tin. Sprinkle with sliced almonds and bake on a middle rack for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. If the top of the cake looks like it’s browning too fast, cover loosely with tinfoil.
While the cake is baking, combine all the syrup ingredients (except orange blossom water) in a small pot, and simmer for about 5 minutes over low heat, stirring until the honey has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in orange blossom water, if using.
Once the cake is out of the oven, let it cool slightly, then poke holes all over with a skewer and pour the hot honey syrup evenly over the cake, allowing it to soak in gradually. Let the cake sit for at least 1 hour to allow the flavours to meld before serving.
Slice and serve with a dollop of yoghurt, crème fraîche, sour cream or cream.
An edited extract from Nadia’s Farm Kitchen, by Nadia Lim (Nude Food Inc, RRP $55).
